Launch has occurred. It was sometime before 04:00 GMT, does anyone have anything more exact?

My calculations suggest 01:15 UT. I have not seen a Chinese launch time yet.

The behaviour of this pair of satellites will be interesting. When the first cluster was launched satellite B performed some manoeuvres while A did not: this fits with some Chinese illustrations showing the satellites as being a (non-manoeuvrable) FY-1 platform and a (manoeuvable) CAST-968 platform. However, on the second cluster *neither* satellite manoeuvred. Let's see what happens with the new pair of satellites.

I had seen those photos but on the People's Daily page with them there was no launch time quoted.

I should have mentioned this last time .......... I had expected that the CZ-4C might have replaced the 4B, but it looks as if the two variants will be used in parallel. When the 4B was introduced the 4A launches had ceased.

On the other hand, we have the similar 2C and 2D both flying ...........

The quoted article suggests that there is something particularly myserious about this pair of launches compaired with the two earlier pairs of Shijian 6 satellites.

In fact, none of these launches has been completey explained. Apart from a graphic which appeared at the time of the first launch - which represented the satellites with a FY-1 platform and a CAST-968 platform - no photographs, illustratons or other details of the satellites have been given. No research programme has been announced other than very general Earth orbit research.

So, along with the still-manoeuvring Shijian 7 satellite from 2005, the Shijian 6 satellites have still to be fully explained by observers of China's space programme. An ELINT role has been suggested for Shijian 6, based upon some of the Chinese organisations which have been involved with the satellites' instrumentation, but nothing is confirmed.

I'm wondering this too. Maybe it's too early to search for it: it was not before June 2006 that the construction of the second CZ-4B pad began.By the way, is it safe to say that another launch pad at 38.835N 111.606E, some 1.5 km to the South, is the one used for DF-5/DF-31/KT-1 launches?

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This message reflects my personal opinion based on open sources of information.

The behaviour of this pair of satellites will be interesting. When the first cluster was launched satellite B performed some manoeuvres while A did not: this fits with some Chinese illustrations showing the satellites as being a (non-manoeuvrable) FY-1 platform and a (manoeuvable) CAST-968 platform.

Well, for the sake of accuracy I would say that the one who did manoeuvre was 28413 = 2004-035A and it's last manoeuvre was in September, 2007, more than three years after the launch. This is the satellite we call Shijian-6-01B, and the non-manoevrable one is Shijian-6-01A = 28414 = 2004-035B.

Apart from a graphic which appeared at the time of the first launch - which represented the satellites with a FY-1 platform and a CAST-968 platform - no photographs, illustratons or other details of the satellites have been given.

The fact is that A and B satellites are indeed built on the basis of FY-1 and CAST-968. There are Chinese articles to confirm this.By the way, I found the complete list of CAST-968 based satellites launched by December 2007: Haiyan-1A and 1B, Tance-1 and 2, Shijian 6B (two), Shiyan weixing-2 and Yaogan weixing-2.

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This message reflects my personal opinion based on open sources of information.

The fact is that A and B satellites are indeed built on the basis of FY-1 and CAST-968. There are Chinese articles to confirm this.By the way, I found the complete list of CAST-968 based satellites launched by December 2007: Haiyan-1A and 1B, Tance-1 and 2, Shijian 6B (two), Shiyan weixing-2 and Yaogan weixing-2.